Vapor-treatment apparatus.



No. 659',55I.

Pate nted out. 9, I900.

F. R. RYAN. VAPOR TREATMENT APPARATUS.

(Application 2M m 25, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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No. 659,5.5l. Patontad flct. 9, I900.

F, 5. RYAN. VAPOR TREATMENT APPARATUS. ([lo Model. (Apphcmon med my 25 1900.) 2 Sheets-Shoal 2.

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FORTUNEE R. RYAN, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE;

VAPOR-TREATMENTAPPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,551, dated October 9, 1960.

Application filed May 25, 1900. serial No. 17,959. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FORTUNEE". R. RYAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby, State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vapor-Treatment Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has relation to a vapor-treat ment apparatus; and the object of the invention is to provide an apparatus in which remedial agents in the form of vapor may be applied to the body of a patient for the treatment of diseases, which apparatus will give an attendant convenient and important con-' trol in regard to the quantity, strength, temperature, and continuance or discontinuance of the application of the remedial agent employed.

This application is in the nature of a modification or improvement upon an apparatus disclosed in my application (Case A) filed on even date and pending herewith. For this reason several features herein shown and described are not claimed, as they form in part the subject-matter of said copending application.

Among the several specific objects in view is the provision of a comparatively-large quantity of a remedial agent from which smaller quantities may be separated and subjected to either a heating or cooling operation before their application to the body of the patient.

Another specific object is the provision of a vapor-evolving device of comparatively large capacity and capable of long-continued operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of my invention. Fig. 2 is a substantially central vertical longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3

is a similar section of a frictional heating device employed, and Fig. 4 is a cross-section of a cooling device employed.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

A is a cabinet in box form, having at its upper portion flaring walls A and surmount ed by a series of slats B, which form a sup port upon which a patient may recline while receiving treatment. No covering which wholly incloses the patient is employed, in order that secretions from the pores of the body may be at once disseminated with the rising vapor into the surrounding atmosphere. Doors A are located in the end and side walls of the cabinet to give access to the various parts of the apparatus arranged therein. Upon the table B or other desired support there is arranged a filtration-chamber G andadistributing-chamberD. Thechamber 0 consists of a cylindrical body portion having sections of varying diameters,as shown,whereby filtering-disks C (see dotted lines in Fig. l) of varying diameters may be arranged within each section. The chamber 0 is surmounted at one end by a receptacle 0 having a cap or cover 0 and a controlling-valve 0 A valve 0 is arranged between the filtering-receptacle and the distributing-receptacle D, and within the latter are arranged filtering-disks D, one of which is slidably arranged within the receptacle and connected with a disk-con trolling rod D having graduations or marks D thereon to indicate the quantity of liquid contained between the movable disk and the end of the chamber. By this means measurements of the remedial agent are secured before it is conducted into other parts of the apparatus.

'A thermometer D shows the temperature of the contents. The screw-threaded or otherwise connected caps C and D are provided for giving access to the interior of these receptacles. These receptacles may be made of any desired non-corrodible material-such as sheet metal properly enameled, gla e', porcelain, or any equivalent material-whereby contamination of the remedial agent arising from corrosion is avoided'and cleanliness and disinfection assisted; From the distributingreceptacle D there extends a pipe having a valve E and leading into branch pipes F and F, each having a valve F and F respectively. The branch pipe F leads into a frictional heating device G, which is operated by an electric motor H, or it may be operated by hand,-if desired. The branch pipe F leads into a cooling-chamber l, as shown by dotted lines, which chamber is surrounded by ice or any other suitable cooling agent (see Fig. 4) contained in the outer casing I. The heating device G is a liquid-tight case, having a disk g rotatably mounted on shaft g connected with a motor, and a fixed disk g adjustably held in contact; with disk 9 by screws g. From the heating device G extends a pipe.

G, having therein a thermometer G and valve G while from the cooling-chamber I there extends a pipe 1 having a valve I The pipes G and I join in a coupling J, connected with a pipe J, which enters the vapor-evolving device K. An air-cylinder L, provided with an inlet-pipe L, having a valve L and a hand or other desired air-pump L has a discharge-pipe L, with a 'controllingwalve L which pipe also enters the vapor-evolving device K, which rests upon a table K or other suitable support. This latter device consists of a cylinder K, preferably of glass or other vitrified material, although it may be constructed of sheet metal, thoroughly enameled interiorly and exteriorly. The body of the cylinder is provided with numerous perforations, and its ends are closed by caps K,screwthreaded or otherwise secured in a removable liquid-tight manner. An outer covering K is provided, which completely encircles the cylinder K and is maintained thereon by collars K screw-threaded upon the periphery of the cap, one at each end. The covering K may be of any desired porous material; but by reason of the difiiculty and, in a measure, the uncertainty of disinfection of coverings K formed of textile fabric, such as woolen or other woven material, I prefer to employ a covering of porous paper, whereby the necessity of disinfection is avoided by reason of the cheapness of the material, so that afterit is used in connection with the treatment of a patient it can be discarded and properly destroyed by fire or other suitable means. This feature of the invention reduces the danger of communication by infection of patients rather' than their cure by reason of the apparatus, and thus contributesina great measure to the production of a large percentage of cures.

It is not necessary to designate any particular remedial agent employed; but for the purpose of giving a clear understanding ofthe construction and operation of the apparatusjt may be said that any desired remedial agenlT,--i-n solid, powdered, or other suitable form, for theproduction of a solution thereof by filtration is placed within the receptacle O Any desired liquid, either heated or cold, is passed through the substance in the receptacle into the filtering-chamber C, where the remedy now in solution is filtered a desired number of times, in accordance with the number of filtering-disks G within the receptacle. The filtering operations taking place simultaneously, there will be collected a quantity ofthe remedial agent between the several filtering-disks and beyond the last disk in the series. From this source of supply there may be drawn a quan tity of solution by opening the valve 0 when the remedial agent is conducted into the distributing-receptacle D. By locating the movable filtering-disk D at a certain point (indicated by the scale D upon the rod D the quantity of remedial agent between said disk and the end of the receptacle may be determined, and this quantity can be conducted from the receptacle D through either of the pipes F or F. The temperature of the measured quantity of the remedy having been indicated by the the thermometer D and the temperature of the remedy required in the vapor-cylinder K being known, the liquid may be directed into and through either the heating device or the cooler, as required, by a proper manipulation of the proper valves, so that the remedy will reach the vapor-evolving cylinder at the desired temperature. By means of the air-pressure or pump L and the intermediate connections with the cylinder K the remedy may be forced into the porous coverings K from the cylinder, and by a proper control of the temperature the quantity of the vapor discharged upwardly upon the body of the patient may be controlled.

It is obvious that various modifications in size, proportion, location, and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination with a porous vaporevolving device adapted to contain a remedial agent and having an outer covering of porous sheet material, of a receptacle for the remedial agent and connections between the vapor device and receptacle, said connections communicating with a heating device; substantially as specified. I

2. A vapor-evolving device consisting of a perforated cylinder of vitrified material or its described equivalent having removable caps, a porous covering surrounding the cylinder, and removable rings mounted on said caps for overlapping and securing the covering in position on the cylinder; substantially as specified.

3. The combination with a porous vaporevolving device adapted to contain a remedial agent, of a receptacle for a remedial agent and connections between the vapor device and receptacle, said connections communicating respectively with a heating device and a cooling device; substantially as specified.

4:. The combination with a vapor-evolving device adapted to contain a remedial agent and having a porous covering, of a separate air-pressure device, separated heating and cooling devices, and means for conducting a remedial agent at will through said heating eonnectedone with each of said branch pipes and having discharge-pipes joining in a common discharge-pipe communicating with a vapor-evolving device adapted to contain a remedial agent, whereby the temperature of a remedial agent may be raised or lowered as desired before its application to use; substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FORTUNEE R. RYAN.

Witnesses:

E. B. STOCKING, ALFRED T. GAGE. 

